Christmas Wish: I'll Be Home for Christmas
by mileouttahell
Summary: Semi-sequel to Christmas Wish, but you don't need to read that. Highlights four couples at Christmas time. (First chapter: Subaru experiences Murphy's law of travel)


Notes: I don't think there's an airport in Kyoto, but I don't care. ^^; So there. I also don't know about Japan's weather being this bad in winter, but it is now. ^^ And again, I don't care.  
  
There is a saying that "Home is where the heart is". They will all be home tonight, even if they have to fall asleep and dream that they're in their loved ones' arms.  
  
C.E. 2004  
  
I'll be home for Christmas  
You can count on me  
  
"Shimatta," Subaru swore in an out of character moment, staring out of the airport window as he hung up the phone. "Stop snowing, I need to get home," he murmured. "C'mon, stop snowing." As if in defiance, the wind picked up and hurled the snow around, making the conditions worse. "Christmas Eve, and I won't be able to spend it at home," Subaru whispered. "Kamui-chan will be so disappointed." His eyebrows drew down. "Maybe I should try the shinkansen..."  
His resolve firmed, and he ducked out of the airport where the flights were all cancelled due to the storm. "Taxi," he muttered, flagging down a passing cab. "The train station," he told the driver, dumping his backpack onto the seat beside him.  
A little while later, Subaru spied Kyoto tower to the left, as the cabbie pulled up to the station. He hurriedly handed the money he owed over and stepped out into the weather, running to the station. Inside, he found that the train station was jammed up because of the weather, and he groaned. However, his Sumeragi title was able to get him a ticket for a seat whose owner had cancelled the reservations at the last minute. He ducked onto the train and, after a bit of searching, found his seat.  
He settled down with a sigh, glad to be off his feet and on his way home to Kamui. He'd be a bit late, but he'd just have to make it up to him. He wondered if the present in his backpack would be enough- he thought it probably would. He drifted off to sleep, with the image of Kamui's face in a rare smile dancing through his head.  
He awoke with a jerk as someone shook him. "Sir? Sir?" A worker was peering at him. "The train can't get through. You'll have to get off here." Subaru wiped his eyes blearily, peering at the information screen before him and seeing that he was at the stop before Tokyo. [1]  
"Um, OK," he agreed absently, mentally going back to swearing. "Is there any way to get through to Tokyo?"  
"Traffic is really slow, but cars _can_ get through..."  
"OK, thanks," he said, picking up his back and following the last few passengers off the train. He picked up the phone to call Kamui again, and tell him he'd ran into another delay. After he got off the phone, he dropped in some more yen and made another phone call. "Hi...Nokoru-san? I hate to disturb you, but I'm stuck outside Tokyo and I need to get in, or I'm gonna have one unhappy Kamui on my hands...no, don't send Suoh. You two need to spend Christmas Eve together, too...sure, I'll wait." Subaru twined the cord around his finger. "Akira? Sure, send your unattached friends. No, I'm just teasing, and I know he won't mind. Thanks. I appreciate it. Ja mata ne."   
Two very long hours later, Subaru saw Akira headed through the crowd. He waved. "Akira-san...!" Akira walked up, grinning cheerfully. "Thanks, I really appreciate you coming to get me," he said.  
"No problem," Akira said cheerfully. "Besides, I haven't seen you in awhile. We'll get to catch up."  
Subaru shook his head at the over-altruistic man. "OK, but you have to let me make it up to you sometime."  
"Sure," Akira agreed. "Oh, Merry Christmas," he continued, handing Subaru a bag of cookies and a paper bag. "Figured you hadn't eaten, like usual."  
"Thanks," Subaru said, and his stomach let out a growl of agreement. Subaru looked sheepish, while Akira laughed.  
"Too predictable, Subaru."  
Subaru sighed and grinned, chagrined, knowing it was true.  
"Let's go, then!" Akira said, cheerfully, leading Subaru out to his car, parked in a garage a few blocks from the station.  
An hour and a half had passed when the car sputtered and died. "What happened?" Subaru said, his voice cracking a little.  
"Oops," Akira said, sounding sheepish.   
"_What_?" Subaru said, in a strangled voice.  
"Out of gas." Akira now sounded _very_ embarrassed.  
"Wonderful," Subaru said, flopping back against the seat. "It's Murphy! He's out to get me today!"  
"I'm sorry," Akira said, bowing. "There should be a gas station a few miles from here...I'll be back soon."  
"A few _miles_?" Subaru said, now looking like he was sitting on a tack. "You can't go out there for a few miles. It's way to dark and cold and-"  
"Don't worry about it," Akira said. "I have a nice warm coat. It shouldn't take me too long."  
"But-" Subaru protested again.  
"Stay here," Akira interrupted, flipping on the hazard lights. "I'll be back soon!" He shut the door on Subaru.  
"Wonderful," Subaru sighed, flopping back against the seat, and drifting off into a restless sleep.  
What was probably about fifteen minutes later, there came a tap at the window. Subaru peered outside to see a lady he didn't recognize, foreign-looking.  
"Are you all right? We saw the hazard lights and thought we'd better check." She had an accent, but her Japanese was good.  
"Yeah, I'm OK," Subaru said. "The guy who was with me went to get some gas..."  
"You look sad, though," the woman said.  
"Well...yeah. I have someone waiting for me at home, and he's going to be awfully disappointed when I don't make it home for Christmas Eve."  
"I understand," the woman said. "My daughter and I are trying to get home, too. My husband is probably worried sick. Where do you live?"   
"Odaiba, right by the TV station."   
"Well, that's almost on our way. We can get you to just past Rainbow Bridge..." Subaru tried to supress a shudder at the name.  
"Would you really? I wouldn't be able to thank you enough..." He pulled a notepad out of his pack and scribbled a quick note to Akira, knowing he wouldn't be offended at Subaru's departure.  
"Hop in," the lady said, gesturing to her van. "This is my daughter." This time she pointed to a girl with dark skin, black hair in a ponytail, and dark green eyes.   
"I'm Chee Nahokosuso. I'm thirteen," she introduced.  
Subaru blinked. "Naho...um..."  
She grinned. "Call me Nako."  
Subaru looked relieved. "OK. Sumeragi Subaru. Where are you two from?"  
"The US. My dad is Native American, that's where I get most of my looks, except my eyes, which are Mom's. I also got my name from him."  
"Ah," Subaru said. "I'm sorry...do I know you? I feel like I should. "  
"People tell me that a lot. Well, I go over to Odaiba sometimes, since my dad works in Fuji TV. [2]Maybe you've seen me around."  
"Hmmm," Subaru agreed, noncommittally. "So tell me about where you're from."  
"Well, I don't remember much about it, but..." Nako enthusiastically launched into a long talk about where she was from.   
"You need to give me your email!" Nako said, as they passed onto Rainbow Bridge.   
"Sure," Subaru agreed, glad Sorata had made him get one after the final battle, when they had all parted ways. He scribbled it down for her, then gathered up his stuff. Nako's mother pulled up to the curb, and Subaru hopped up. "Thank you so much," he said. "You don't know what this means to me.  
Nako smiled at him. "Yeah, I think I do."  
For some reason, he believed her without question. "Thank you," he repeated, bowing again.  
"You're welcome," Nako's mother laughed, "But you're letting in the cold air!"  
"Gomen nasai!" Subaru apologized, blushing. He pulled the sliding door shut and waved as the van drove off into the snow. Only when it was out of sight did he realize why Nako looked so familiar to him.  
Oji-san...why are you sad?  
She was that little girl, wasn't she? Subaru thought with wonder. A little angel. She has to be. He smiled and set off wading through the snow.  
Twenty minutes later, Subaru let himself into his apartment, dripping wet and shivering. He hung up his heavy jacket by the heater, followed by his trench coat and a couple more layers of clothing. He tiptoed into the bedroom where Kamui was sleeping, curled around a pillow and with a little frown on his face. The clock read 11:59. I just made it, Subaru thought with a grin, and bent over to kiss Kamui on the forehead. Violet eyes slowly opened and peered up at him, then at the clock.  
"Merry Christmas, Kamui," Subaru whispered as the clock changed. He set the small present he'd dug out of his backpack into Kamui's hand and then bent to give him a light kiss on the lips.  
"Thanks," Kamui said, setting it aside.[3] "But I just wanted you home safely."  
Subaru smiled. "Well here I am, and I'm-"  
"Freezing," Kamui cut in, finally awake enough to notice that Subaru was sopping and a bit blue-lipped. "Go take a shower. I'll be more awake in a minute."  
Subaru nodded, already headed towards the bathroom. The shower felt good on his exhausted muscles, and he quickly warmed up. He toweled off, and then peeked into the bedroom, where Kamui was staring at the small box in his hands.  
"Subaru..." Kamui said, knowing he was there. "Do you mean this?" he gestured towards the ring he was holding. [4]  
"Kamui, am I the type to play a cruel joke?" Subaru smiled gently. "Of course I mean it. Of course, we can't get really married, but it's the thought that counts-"  
He was interrupted by Kamui launching himself at him, grabbing him in a bear hug around the waist. "Subaru..."  
Subaru hugged him, guiding him over to sit down on the side of the bed. "So I can assume that's a yes?" he asked dryly.  
Kamui nodded against Subaru's chest. Subaru was surprised to feel a drop of water fall against his chest. "Kamui, doshite...?"  
"I'm happy..." Kamui replied. "I guess I've always been afraid that you'd leave me like everyone else. The rational part of me knew better, but not my heart... But you're not going to leave, you want to stay with me forever, and..." he buried his head in Subaru's chest, and Subaru began running his hands through Kamui's hair in an affectionate gesture. He knew he didn't need to say anything. He leaned backwards slowly so that he was lying down with Kamui still resting on his chest. His right arm encircled Kamui's waist and his left continued running through Kamui's hair.  
"Aishiteru, Kamui," Subaru whispered, beginning to sink into sleep. The last thing he head before he passed out was Kamui whispering, "Watashi mo..."  
  
  
[1] And obviously I don't know what it is. So don't ask.  
[2] My Digimon Reference of the Day (TM)  
[3] In Japan, it's impolite to open gifts in front of the giver unless you ask first. I don't actually know if this applies to people who are close, but for the sake of the story, I'm pretending it does.  
[4] OK, seriously, who didn't see that coming ten miles away. 


End file.
